Please vote yes to renew the upcoming Transportation Benefit District (TBD) .2% sales tax to improve Centralia’s streets.
I spent 41-plus years serving the citizens of the City of Centralia in our Public Works Department and more than 12 years managing the Street Department. I personally know the money raised through this tax only goes to improve our roads and I’ve seen those improvements transform our city transportation system since the voters approved it in 2015. This money is used to maintain our streets, including patching, chip sealing, filling potholes, paving, striping, thermoplastic, signage and much more.
More importantly, it is used as a match for state and federal grants. Some examples include work on Galvin Road, North Gold Street, South Gold Street, Harrison Avenue and Borst Avenue. All of those projects were grant funded, with a match provided by TBD. If we did not have the required match, we would not be entitled to those grants. Over the past 10 years, we have leveraged approximately $1.6 million in TBD funds to receive almost $7 million in grants for these above projects.
Currently, work is being completed on North Scheuber Road as Phase 1 of the Westside Connector and we have received federal funding to re-pave First Street and complete pedestrian and bicycle improvements around Washington Elementary and Oakview Elementary schools. None of these projects would be possible without the TBD.
Please vote yes on the upcoming TBD .2 % sales tax. It is not a new tax, just a renewal of the existing sales tax for another 10 years. There are many more improvements that need to be made to our roadways and this tax ensures that all visitors to Centralia help us to make those improvements when they spend money in Centralia. Let’s keep improving our streets together to keep making Centralia the best city halfway between Seattle and Portland. Thank You
Kim Ashmore
Formerly of Centralia
